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24
SKY
I takea taxi to Tara’s, fighting my anger and swiping away tears. Angry the tears won’t stop, more appear, a vicious circle leaving me a red-faced, snotty mess. Dylan attempts to call me several times, but with the mood I’m in, not a good idea. My best friend answers the door, unable to hide her surprise. She looks behind me, then takes my arm. I’ve calmed down a little on the final part of the two hour drive, but not much.
“Sky? What the hell happened?”
“Do you have time to talk?”
“Always.” She rubs my arm. “You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
Tara sits me down and makes a herbal tea as the story pours from me. For the first time in months, I crave a drink, but... baby.
Tara talks gently to me, edging around her unspoken opinion: I’m overreacting. She carefully chooses her words in an attempt to push in rationality. I rest my head on the table, body aching.
“Don’t you understand?” I ask, picking at the coaster next to my mug.
“I understand why you’re angry with him, but he’s Dylan. He’s fierce in the way he protects you, and he doesn’t think things through. He is male after all,” she says in a light tone.
I don’t laugh.
“He lied. Somebody was stalking me, and Dylan didn’t tell me. So he can’t be that protective. Can he? He put me in danger.”
On the drive over, little things from the last few months crystallised in my head. Dylan wanted me driven everywhere. He hated me leaving the apartment when he was out. When he’s working and I’m alone, Dylan insisted I call him more often than usual, and if I didn’t, he’d call me. I quizzed him about it once, and he told me this is his paranoia over the pregnancy.
For all I know, he had bodyguards shadowing me.
Would I have freaked out if I’d known about Lily’s letters? Yes, but it was myrightto know.
“He lied,” I repeat. “I don’t cope well with people lying to me. If he can lie about this, what else can he lie about?” I chew on the edge of my hand, biting back the words I don’t want to say again. Lily. Dylan. Baby.
“No, Sky!” protests Tara. “You don’t believe Lily about the baby, surely your pregnancy hasn’t totally melted your brain.”
I jerk my head up ready to give her a piece of my mind, but her half smile disarms me. “Stop trying to make this sound okay by joking.”
“No. But I think you’re being over the top. You’re pissed off with Dylan when he runs from problems and conflict. What are you doing? Running.”
I scowl and grab a biscuit from the packet, staring into my teacup as I munch. “Yeah, so, I’m a hypocrite.”
“Stubborn.”
I relax my shoulders. “It’s more than that. Seeing her was horrible, rewound me to the time she told me those awful lies about Dylan. The world feels surreal, different. I can’t think straight.”
Tara chews her lip and looks into her cup. “Don’t be annoyed with me, but I think your pregnancy hormones have an influence here.”
“If you were of the male species I’d ram this packet down your throat for those words,” I growl and pick up the biscuits.
“Exactly my point. Jesus, Sky. Listen to yourself.”
I ignore her and shove another biscuit into my mouth, as her wisdom sinks in.
“Since when did you start drinking herbal tea?” I ask.
“Nice subject change.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him,” I mumble.
“Good.” She laughs to herself.
